(JTA) — Activists from the Limmud project in the United States and Canada established an official hub in North America.

The volunteers voted to form a representative council, and set up a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization to encourage more support for local groups and enable the groups to share software and other organizational systems.

The initiative was launched at a summit over the weekend as part of LimmudFest Atlanta. It was held in order to mark the 10^th anniversary of Limmud International.

“As individual communities each build what’s best for them, we as a North American community can learn from each other. This movement lends to the definition of what Jewish life will evolve into during these rapidly changing times,” said Eric M. Robbins, who, with Jodi Mansbach, brought Limmud to Atlanta a decade ago and is the new president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. “Limmud has brought me together with a diverse community locally, nationally and internationally to build a community that learns from each other, has fun with each other and struggles with the issues we face as a people and a society. It’s fluid and it’s built by us and it’s a model of what a strong Jewish community can be.”

Last year, more than 39,000 people took part in Limmud events produced by over 3,000 volunteers in 83 communities spanning 43 countries and six continents. Limmud was established in the UK in 1980.

Events in the U.S. and Canada have been held in: Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.